Marine drive lubricating system



Dec. 29, 1959 E. LEIPERT MARINE DRIVE LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed April 25. 1958 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 Fig. 5.

INVENTOR.

EDWARD LElP-ERT ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1959 E. LEIPERT MARINE DRIVE LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed April 25. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig- E.

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EDWARD LEIPERT ATTORNEY the chamber 26, lubricating the various elements'it en lationship between the oil or lubricant 16 Within this housing 14 and the surrounding water. The heat exchange effected will cool the lubricant contained therein. On the other hand, the rapidly churning bevel gears 17, located within the gear housing 12, together with the other rotating parts which create friction heat will tend to overheat the lubricant 16 within the reservoir 15. The hereindescribed device therefor Will operate to constantly vtransfer lubricant from the cooling chamber housing 14 to the portion of the propulsion device which tends to overheat the lubricant. After a period of running, a stabilized oil temperature will be brought about whereby all of the lubricant within the system will be at a temperature suitable for its purposes. The lubricant carried Within the gear housing 12 will not be excessively hot and the lubricant Within the propeller housing 14 will be heated to permit greater efiiciency of operation of the gears and other moving parts within it.

It will be noted that the vertical propeller shaft 19 adjacent the discharge end of the pump 27 is provided with a beveled orifice 33. It will also be apparent that the vertical shaft 19 is secured by means of splines 21 to the horizontal bevel gear 22. A spline connection is also provided between the vertical shaft 19 and the bevel gear 23 located at the lower end of said shaft. As a result of the splined attachment of the vertical shaft between the gears 22 and 23, the shaft in effect floats freely Within limits in the propulsion device. In the event that the pump 27 builds up an excessive pressure of lubricant, due to the flow resistance of cold oil through the bore 20 the orifice 33 will be unable to receive it and the entire vertical shaft 19 will be moved upwardly and away from the outlet end 34 of said pump. The lubricant 16 will then escape laterally and fall back into the chamber 26 of the gear housing 14.

Figure 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention in which the lubricant is led through the gear housing 12 by means of bores or ducts 35. The lubricant is brought up through the central bore 20 of the vertical shaft 19 as has been previously described and then takes a path indicated in Figure 3 by the arrows 36. The bores 35 are provided in the structure of the housing 12 and in the upper housing cover 37 to enable the lubricant to reach all of the moving parts Within the housing 12. As the oil flows down through the housing 12 and towards the bottom reservoir within the chamber 26 it is directed by the bores 35 into contact with all of the portions of the mechanism requiring lubrication.

An oil shield 38 is disposed within the bearing 39 and is provided with a small hole to permit only a small amount of the lubricant to enter the bearing 39 and to cause the major portion of the lubricant to follow the path indicated by the arrows through the bores and into contact with the remainder of the mechanism.

It will be seen from the disclosure made in connection with Figure 3, that the lubricating system employed is a directed one rather than a splash type as illustrated in connection with Figure 1.

While the present disclosure has dealt with marine drive structures, it is within the purview of the present invention to employ the lubricating system herein described and illustrated in other forms of drive wherein the'lubricant passes from one chamber having a lower temperature to one or more other chambers having substantially higher temperatures by a circulation of said lubricant whereby a suitable and highly desirable lubricant temperature can be achieved at all times.

Having thus fully described the invention, What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A marine drive lubricating system comprising, an upper gear housing, drive means in said gear housing, a normally submerged propeller gear housing, driven means in the propeller gear housing and a drive shaft housing interconnecting the gear housings, a'lubricant receiving chamber in the propeller gear housing, a vertically disposed shaft in the drive housing extending from the drive means to the driven means, a longitudinal bore in said shaft, and pump means within the propeller gear housing, an outlet passage on the pump, said pump being in abutting relationship with the bottom end of the shaft and having its outlet passage in register with the longitudinal bore to move the lubricant from the propeller gear housing chamber through the bore and into the upper gear'housing.

2. A marine drive lubricating system comprising, an upper gear housing, drive means in said gear housing, a normally submerged propeller gear housing, driven means in the propeller gear housing and a drive shaft housing interconnecting the gear housings, a lubricant receiving reservoir in the upper gear housing, a lubricant receiving chamber in the propeller gear housing, a vertically disposed shaft in the drive housing extending from the drive means to the driven means, a longitudinal bore in said shaft, and pump means within the propeller gear housing, an outlet passage on the pump, said pump being in abutting relationship with the bottom end of the shaft and having its outlet passage in register with the longitudinal bore to move the lubricant from the propeller gear housing chamber through the bore and into the upper gear housing.

3. A marine drive lubricating system comprising, an upper gear housing, drive means in said gear housing, a normally submerged propeller gear housing, driven means in the propeller gear housing and a drive shaft housing interconnecting the gear housings, a lubricant receiving reservoir in the upper gear housing, a lubricant receiving chamber in the propeller gear housing, a vertically disposed shaft in the drive housing extending from the drive means to the driven means, an overflow pipe within the reservoir and disposed around the shaft to regulate the level of the lubricant in said reservoir and direct the overflow through the shaft housing to the propeller gear housing, a longitudinal bore in said shaft, and pump means within the propeller gear housing, an outlet passage on the pump, said pump being in abutting relationship with the bottom end of the shaft and having its outlet passage in register with the longitudinal bore to move the lubricant from the propeller gear housing chamber through the bore and into the upper gear housing.

4. A marine drive lubricating system comprising, an

upper gear housing, drive means in said gear housing,

a normally submerged propeller gear housing, driven means in the propeller gear housing and a drive shaft housing interconnecting the gear housings, a lubricant receiving and cooling chamber in the propeller gear housing, a vertically disposed shaft in the drive housing extending from the drive means to the driven means, means comprising splines on said shaft operatively engaging the drive means whereby the shaft can shift longitudinally within the drive housing, a longitudinal bore in said shaft, and pump means within the propeller gear housing, an outlet passage on the pump, said pump being in abutting relationship with the bottom end of the shaft and having its outlet passage in register with the longitudinal bore to move the lubricant from the propeller gear housing chamber through the bore and into the upper gear housing.

5. A marine drive lubricating system comprising, an upper gear housing, drive means in said gear housing, a normally submerged propeller gear housing, driven means in the propeller gear housing and a drive shaft housing interconnecting the gear housings, a lubricant receiving chamber in the propeller gear housing, a vertically disposed shaft in the drive housing extending from the drive means to the driven means, a longitudinal bore in said shaft, bores within the housings to lead the lubricant from the top of the longitudinal bore through the drive means and into the propeller gear housing chamher, and pump means within the propeller gear housing, an outlet passage on the pump, said pump being in abutting relationship with the bottom end of the shaft and having its outlet passage in register with the longitudinal bore to move the lubricant from the propeller gear housing chamber through the bore and into the upper gear housing.

6. A marine drive lubricating system comprising, an upper gear housing, drive means in said gear housing, a normally submerged propeller gear housing, driven means in the propeller gear housing and a drive shaft housing interconnecting the gear housings, a lubricant receiving reservoir in the upper gear housing, a lubricant receiving and cooling chamber in the propeller gear housing, a vertically disposed shaft in the drive housing extending from the drive means to the driven means, an overflow pipe within the reservoir and disposed around the shaft to regulate the level of the lubricant in said reservoir and direct the overflow through the shaft housing to the propeller gear housing, means comprising splines on said shaft operatively engaging the drive means whereby the shaft can shift longitudinally within the drive housing, a longitudinal bore in said shaft, and pump means within the propeller gear housing, an outlet passage on the pump, said pump being in abutting relationship with the bottom end of the shaft and having its outlet passage in register with the longitudinal bore to move the lubricant from the propeller gear housing chamber through the bore and into the upper gear housing.

7. A marine drive lubricating system comprising, an upper gear housing, drive means in said gear housing, a normally submerged propeller gear housing, driven means in the propeller gear housing and a drive shaft housing interconnecting the gear housings, a lubricant receiving and cooling chamber in the propeller gear housing, a vertically disposed shaft in the drive housing extending from the drive means to the driven means, means comprising splines on said shaft operatively engaging the drive means whereby the shaft can shift longitudinally within the drive housing, a longitudinal bore in said shaft, bores within the housings to lead the lubricant from the top of the longitudinal bore through the drive means and into the propeller gear housing chamber, and pump means within the propeller gear housing, an outlet passage on the pump, said pump being in abutting relationship with the bottom end of the shaft and having its outlet passage in register with the longitudinal bore to move the lubricant from the propeller gear housing chamber through the bore and into the upper gear housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,822,573 Fitz Gerald et a1. Sept. 8, 1931 2,458,813 Wanzer Jan. 11, 1949 2,496,434 Bosma Feb. 7, 1950 2,724,448 Rossler et a1. Nov. 22, 1955 

